


Still Here

by sapphire_child



Category: Lost
Genre: Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-04
Updated: 2005-10-04
Packaged: 2018-12-31 21:26:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12141474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphire_child/pseuds/sapphire_child
Summary: Set in the caves the morning after the events in Exodus, Claire is surprised that Charlie is still there, watching over her and her son.





	Still Here

"I’ll watch you both." he had promised.

"You’re exhausted..." she had protested immediately.

"You need the sleep a hell of a lot more than I do." he had pointed out and she'd fallen silent. She knew he was right. "I’ll be okay. I’ll watch you."

She had regarded him carefully. His eyes were sharp and alert despite the dark smudges underneath them.

"Please?"

Claire had only managed to fall asleep barely an hour before dawn, exhausted as she was from worrying, maintaining a tight grip on Charlie’s hand as she slept.

He watched over them both.

The dull throbbing of his head, whilst doing nothing for his mood (or his insomnia) at least was keeping him awake. He pressed a sodden rag to his head for what felt like the umpteenth time and purposely dabbed at his eyes to keep himself awake and alert. He couldn’t stand to see a look of disappointment crease her face if she woke up and he had nodded off.

What good was a guard if he fell asleep on watch?

Claire stirred uneasily in her sleep and Charlie automatically reached to smooth her hair, to lull her back into peaceful sleep. The desired effect however, was lost. Claire’s eyes fluttered open suddenly to gaze at him.

"You’re still here," she murmured in some surprise.

"I am," Charlie affirmed, pulling his hand away from her hair as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. "I didn’t mean to wake you up. Sorry."

Claire managed the ghost of a smile, "That’s okay Charlie," before turning her head surreptitiously to check on Aaron.

"He's still there," Charlie said and Claire turned back looking slightly guilty. "Still asleep. He had a big day yesterday."

"Sorry," Claire apologised. "I had to make sure...to see that he was...for myself..."

"Yeah. I know."

Silence.

"How’s your head doing?" Claire put a comforting pressure on his hand.

Charlie grimaced and Claire patted his hand sympathetically. "That bad huh?" a cynical smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and Charlie returned the gesture in kind.

Just outside the caves, a bird set up its morning chorus and Claire started slightly.

"Is it morning?" she wondered.

"Yeah," Charlie grinned suddenly. "Hey, we lasted the whole night."

"We did." Claire gazed at him sleepily. "Reckon we’ll last the day as well?"

Charlie squeezed her hand reassuringly and the smile in his eyes began spreading across the rest of his face. "Luv, at this rate, I reckon we’re gonna last forever."


End file.
